Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1887-10-06
10 MAKE cIogR vINEeAR.
Quick Process OF Producing q Pure and
Wholesome Article.

A Quick Process OF Producing n Pure and
Wholesome Article.
Any farmer can easily change all the
cider he is likely TO have into vinegar
by the following quick process: The
requirements are, first. cask; second,
box made of four wide boards, fifteen
to eighteen feet long. with bottom
board ''full of holes;'' this is to be
placed upright, above and leading into
the cask; third, above and leading into
this box there must be an automatic
fountain. These provided, each per-
son can determine where it will be
most convenient to improvise the fac
tory, whether in barn or wood-house.
If he has no better place he can put the
fountain in his house at a second-story
window, the box and cask being out
side under the window. Instead of
the box, L used with first-rate success)
two headless salt barrels, one above
another, the lower one with one head
full of holes. 1t may be possible that
the barrels are better than the box, be-
cause air is admitted where they join,
and they do not allow the porous con-
tents to settle readily and pack rs n
straight box would. Cross-pins through
the box would be remedy against the
settling and packing. Next L put in q
half t-'lshel of cobs and filed to the top
of the upper barrel with oak saw-dust.
Then, from the fountain, l turned on
a stream of cider nearly or quite
as large as common penholder.
but reduced to mere dripping
through the night. The saw-dust abb
sorbed more than a barrel before any
began to run into the lower cask. The
fountain was kept running with cider
till the lower cask was nearly full.
Then the fountain was supplied from
the contents of this cask till the liquid
had made three or four circuits through
the saw-dust and corn cobs, and had
become excellent vinegar.
Most of this was barreled, and the
rest was used, alternately with new ci-
der, to replenish the fountain. Some
times 1 used twice as much of one as
the other, but as fast as it became good
vinegar L kept on barreling all except
what was wanted to mix with new ci-
der in continuation of the process.
When there was no more cider TO work
up. the vinegar in the saw-dust was got
up by putting water in the fountain,
and as it descended in the saw-dust it
''displaceG" or pushed the vinegar
downward. When the water began to
come through tasting only a little of
vinegar, it was turned off.
The last lot of vinegar may be mixed
with that previously made, and the to-
tai measure will be fully equal to the
original quantity of cider; and if the
cider was pure and unwatered, the vine
gar will be so intensely strong that it
may be largely diluted.
During the process considerable heat
is generated, the saw-dust and liquor
becoming quite warm. 1t may be that
this heat may be increased or dimin-
ished to advantage by turning on
large amount of cold cider at once, or
by having the cider warm when
it is turned on-more especi..
ally at the beginning when
every thing is cold. However, without
warming the cider. succeeded as above.
The original recipe prescribed mixing
a small quantity of honey with the ci-
der. This is not necessary. The recipe
also called for beech-wood shavings,
as though nothing else would answer.
The fact perhaps is that the shavings
and saw-dust of all kinds of wood that
will not communicate taste or color,
are about equally good. Dead ripe,
cut straw. washed free from rust and
smut, would probably answer. The
theory of the quick process is based on
the diffusion and exposure to the air.
of the cider Cor of any other fluid that
will make vinegar), SO that all portions
may absorb oxygen simultaneously. If
the theory is correct, then it is almost
a certain fact that crushed charcoal Or
coarse sand that will admit circulation
of air would answer.
Some people object to the quick-pro-
cess cider; but there is no reason why
the simultaneous absorption of oxygen
by all parts of the cider from the pure
external air should make vinegar less
than that which is. one or
two years i'll making ITSELF by alb
sorbing oxygen through bung-hole
from the poor quality of air in a cellar
where the cider is fermenting. Fresh
made, quick-process vinegar is free
from animalcule and Will remain so
for many years without dying" be-
coming ''mothery," or ''ropy," if in
full vessels tightly col ked.-Cor. Rural
Ne10 Yorker.